Electric circuit breakers are typically used in electricity distribution networks at various locations in the network, in order to monitor the current level flowing in the network, and to interrupt the electrical current if the current level flowing through the electric circuit breaker exceeds certain thresholds or limits.
In order to achieve an adequate protection in the low voltage portion of the network, thermo-magnetic circuit breakers are generally used. A thermo-magnetic circuit breaker inserted in an electrical circuit will automatically break the electrical circuit to disconnect a portion of the network, if the current level through the electric circuit breaker exceeds a dangerous level, i.e. when an overload condition occurs. In this type of circuit breaker, this is typically accomplished by means of a resistive thermal element which will modify its mechanical dimensions with temperature due to the increased current level. A thermal element will, however, not instantaneously respond to an overload condition. Rather, the time required by the thermal element for varying its mechanical dimensions depends on its thermal mass, and on the other hand also on the amount of overload current. The time required by the thermal element for responding to the particular overload condition accordingly varies between fractions of a second and about one hour. Obviously, also the ambient temperature has an influence on this response time. The non-instantaneous response characteristics of the thermal element are appropriate for protecting the electrical circuit and thus the entire network against a continuous overload condition caused e.g. by a parallel connection of too many loads to the electric circuit, whereas short current spikes will not cause an unwanted tripping of the electric circuit breaker. Such current spikes are generated when electric loads like television sets or electric motors are switched on.
On the other hand, the non-instantaneous response characteristics make an electric circuit breaker with only a conventional thermal element less suitable for protecting its associated network portion against very high levels of overcurrent which may be caused e.g. by a short circuit condition. In this situation a fast response of the circuit breaker is required.
In order to provide a fast response time in such extreme overload conditions, a conventional electric circuit breaker for use in the LV network therefore also comprises an electromagnetic element, e.g. a coil, which will generate a magnetic force depending on the amount of current flowing through the circuit breaker. If the force generated by the magnetic element exceeds a certain force threshold, the magnetic element will trip the electric circuit breaker with some milli seconds of delay in order to prevent instantaneous damages in the network.
Besides this conventional type of thermo-magnetic circuit breaker, other conventional types of electric circuit breakers comprise a thermal element only, or an electromagnetic element only, for breaking the electrical circuit when an overload condition has occurred.
Each of these and other types of conventional electric circuit breakers has a so-called rated current. This parameter describes the current level beyond which the circuit breaker is supposed to break the electrical circuit. A current level above the rated current level constitutes an overload condition which will eventually lead to the tripping of the electric circuit breaker. The rated current is determined by the design of the circuit breaker, e.g. the size, thermal mass, mechanical bias and the like of the thermal and/or electromagnetic elements. Nowadays, a variety of electric circuit breakers is on the market for a variety of different rated currents, adapted to the variety of needs which arise from the existing variety of types of consumers, load levels and network load constraints. However, one or more of these parameters of an electrical installation may change sometimes for various reasons. In a power distribution network a need may arise to update the tripping current level or the degree of protection for the circuit protected by the circuit breaker. To achieve this with conventional circuit breakers, it is necessary to replace the existing electric circuit breaker having a first rated current by another electric circuit breaker having another rated current adapted to the new situation. This is laborious, time consuming and can be particularly disadvantageous in large electricity distribution networks. A change of the tripping current level during the ongoing operation of the circuit breaker is impossible.
The necessity to provide and install a variety of different circuit breakers with a variety of given rated currents leads to inflexibilities with adverse impacts on the costs for network maintenance and administration. More flexibility in this regard would be highly desirable.